Penguin Hat

Animal hats are super popular right now. I see them everywhere - from baby heads to ladies in their early twenties. They remind me of amigurumi, but wearable. I think they are super adorable, and was so excited when a friend of mine asked if I could make her a penguin hat for her new little baby. She sent me this picture to show me what she had in mind:

Very cute, right? Having never made this style of hat before, I began searching Ravelry.com for a similar pattern. Soon, I found this:

 

Perfect! I purchased the pattern and desired yarn colors and got to business immediately. The pattern was very well written and the hat worked up amazingly fast. Next thing I knew (3 hours or so later) I had completed the hat! Here is the finished product:

I am super pleased with how it turned out and, more importantly, so is my friend! I have since made another for a coworker, in identical colors. The pattern came with both boy and girl penguin versions, and pattern sizes from newborn to adult.

Think it's super cute? Check out my listing on Etsy. Any size/color combo available.

Useful Amigurumi

Most of us know amigurumi as cute little critters and dolls that are fun to look at and cuddle with. But Anna Paula Rimoli has given amigurumi a useful twist. Inspired by her children, she makes amigurumi versions of items they use every day - backpacks, lunch bags, pencil cases... Even apple cozies and sleepover duffles.
I think this is so clever! My only complaint about amigurumi is that I end up with a bunch of adorable tchotchkes taking up space. Now we can make adorable things and USE them, too.

So far I've tried out two of the projects from her book Amigurumi On The Go. This first is her turtle

lunch tote. I must have misunderstood the pattern, because the bottom comes out to a point instead if lying flat. The tote is still incredibly adorable and I can see how kids will enjoy opening his shell to find their lunches waiting.
The second project is her fish bag. This little purse will hold enough to keep tiny ladies happy, and is so charming. This bag works up pretty quickly and is sure to make you smile.

I look forward to trying more of the projects from this book. I've also been inspired to adjust other patterns into useful cuteness! You should check out her books!

P.S. - I'm sorry these are not my pictures. I don't have any decent ones of the turtle, and for some reason the instant upload feature isn't working for me, so I can't use the fish bag pictures from my phone. I hope to change that when it's not 1:12 in the morning.